Breaking down numbers from holiday week

For the first time in nearly two months, Idaho did not hit another weekly peak in new coronavirus cases.

COVID-19 deaths also dropped significantly from a seven-day peak set a week ago.

It isn’t clear, however, whether the numbers reflect reporting delays due to the short week and the Thanksgiving holiday. The state did not update its coronavirus website Thursday, posting two days of numbers on Friday. Two health districts — the South Central Public Health District in Twin Falls and the Idaho Falls-based Eastern Idaho Public Health District — did not report new numbers on their websites Friday evening.

As of late Friday, the state and its health districts reported 98,967 confirmed and probable coronavirus cases, a 10 percent increase from the previous week.

This week’s numbers (and comparisons with last week):

Statewide data	Nov. 20	Nov. 27	Change, Nov. 14-20	Change, Nov. 21-27
Cases, confirmed and probable	89,899	98,967	9,795	9,068
Total cases, ages 0-4	1,356	1,488	111	132
Total cases, ages 5-12	3,125	3,472	386	347
Total cases, ages 13-17	5,208	5,723	628	515
Total cases, ages 18-29	24,143	26,092	2,360	1,949
Deaths	846	909	94	63
Patients ever hospitalized	3,492	3,878	390	386
Patients ever admitted to ICU	673	727	71	54
Patients recovered, estimated	37,232	39,900	2,750	2,668
Idahoans tested	448,001	468,895	23,586	20,894
Health care workers infected	4,749	4,985	292	236
Positive test rate (based on all cases divided by testing numbers, as reported by the state)	20.0 percent	21.1 percent	+1.1 percentage points	+1.1 percentage points

Top five counties, by total cases	Nov. 20	Nov. 27	New cases, Nov. 21-27	New cases per day, per 100,000 population
Ada	23,065	24,910	1,845	54.7
Canyon	13,482	15,091	1,609	100.0
Bonneville	6,644	7,326	682	81.8
Kootenai	6,514	7,277	763	65.8
Twin Falls	6,312	6,734	422	69.4

Hotspot counties (weekly increase of 10 percent or higher)	Nov. 20	Nov. 27	New cases, Nov. 21-27	New cases per day, per 100,000 population
Adams	89	99	10	33.3
Bannock	3,832	4,355	532	85.1
Bear Lake	159	184	25	58.3
Benewah	234	272	38	58.4
Bingham	2,432	2,697	265	80.9

Boise	122	137	15	27.4
Bonner	839	959	120	37.5
Bonneville	6,644	7,326	682	81.8
Canyon	13,482	15,091	1,609	100.0
Clearwater	362	529	167	272.5

Custer	131	146	15	49.7
Elmore	806	895	89	46.2
Franklin	583	680	97	99.9
Gem	729	941	212	167.2
Idaho	659	757	98	84.0

Kootenai	6,514	7,277	763	65.8
Lewis	172	194	22	81.9
Nez Perce	1,990	2,233	243	85.9
Oneida	117	134	17	53.6
Owyhee	557	664	107	129.3

Payette	1,453	1,604	151	90.1
Teton	475	535	60	70.6
Valley	210	242	32	40.1
Washington	659	751	92	128.9

About Kevin Richert

Senior reporter and blogger Kevin Richert specializes in education politics and education policy. He has more than 30 years of experience in Idaho journalism. He is a frequent guest on KIVI 6 On Your Side; “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television; and “Idaho Matters” on Boise State Public Radio. Follow Kevin on Twitter: @KevinRichert. He can be reached at [email protected]